Principal Statistician & Data Scientist

Roche • Philadelphia, PA

4d • $161,000 - $299,000

About The Position

At Roche, we thrive to deliver more benefits to our patients as part of our 10-year Pharma vision. An integral part of achieving this vision is to deliver new and innovative data analytics solutions to our scientists across Pharma Technical Operations (PT). PT Digital and Operational Excellence (PTE) is the organization that catalyzes the global development and execution of PT’s Digital and Operational Excellence strategy to enable PT to realize our performance promises. We build a strong cross-functional and inclusive community, put the power of data into the hands of our people, further develop the Lean and Digital skills across PT, and scale up our Digital and Advanced Analytics solutions, for the benefit of our colleagues and patients. We aim to activate data citizenship and digital mind, revolutionize our FAIR data ecosystem and systems landscape, re-design excellent processes, and generate transformative insights. We collaborate closely with global functions to deliver impactful value to our patients. The Opportunity As a Principal Data Scientist and Statistician, you will serve as the strategic technical lead for our Philadelphia site. You will play a critical role in advancing data science and statistical solutions across Pharma Technical (PT), with a primary focus on scaling cell and gene therapy operations. In addition to driving high-level analytical strategy, you will be responsible for Global PTC Alignment, ensuring that local site activities are synchronized with global business growth. As a site lead, you will manage senior stakeholder relationships, architect complex statistical frameworks, and provide expert mentorship to ensure the long-term success and technical excellence of the Philadelphia team.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Statistics, Biostatistics, Data Science, or a related quantitative field and at least 12 years of experience or a Master's degree in Statistics, Biostatistics, Data Science, or related quantitative field and 15+ years of experience
• Extensive, high-level experience in pharmaceutical technical development.
• Proven track record of leading DOE for process characterization and validation within cell and gene therapy.
• Demonstrated ability to manage senior stakeholders and coordinate across global sites.
• Proven experience acting as a "force multiplier" by identifying site-specific opportunities and proactively mitigating risks.
• Expert proficiency in R, JMP, or Python, with experience building and maintaining production-grade software tools and automated workflows.
• Deep familiarity with FDA/EMA regulatory guidelines and a history of successful interactions or submissions.
• Outstanding ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical executive leadership and influence site-wide operational strategy.
• Self-motivated and capable of operating with full autonomy at a new site, with a passion for driving continuous improvement and global alignment.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Site Leadership: Act as the primary statistical authority for the Philadelphia site, establishing a solid foundation for data-driven decision-making and operational excellence.
• Global PTC Coordination: Lead and coordinate statistical support in alignment with growing PTC business needs. Ensure local methodologies and tools are integrated with global PT standards and strategies.
• Stakeholder Diplomacy: Partner with site leadership and cross-functional business heads to translate complex scientific and operational needs into unified analytical strategies. Influence high-level strategic decisions through the interpretation of complex data.
• Architecting Frameworks: Design and oversee the development of large-scale statistical frameworks and automated workflows for process development, commercial manufacturing, and quality control.
• Advanced Analytical Strategy: Lead the application of advanced statistical methods, DOE, and AI/ML to analyze diverse datasets, driving insights that accelerate drug development and improve manufacturing efficiency.
• Mentorship & Culture: Serve as a primary mentor for the local team, guiding junior and senior colleagues in study design, coding best practices, and modern data science approaches to build a high-performing, collaborative environment.
• Process & Quality Governance: Establish and promote best-in-class standards for statistical analysis and regulatory-aligned study design across the site.
• Organizational Upskilling: Design and deliver high-impact training programs to elevate the organization's statistical literacy and data science capabilities.
• Innovation & Advocacy: Stay at the forefront of emerging methods and regulatory guidance (FDA/EMA), advocating for the adoption of modern data science approaches within the global PT network.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree